The latter continue to exist, and their use is still permitted despite VOC regulations and environmental labels, because it is widely recognised that no acceptable alternative exists at present. This is certainly the case for wood-trim paints, and especially those for exterior use. The keywords associated with modern wood coatings are aesthetics, protection, and functionality. Wood "moves" as a result of the absorption/desorption of water, so coatings must be resistant to external physical, chemical and biological influences, in order to maintain long term service life and to extend renovation cycles. In brief, a coating system for wood must ...